Improvement in organs



ZSheets-Sheet l. T. WINANS.

ORGANS.

Patented Sept.12, 1876.

N PETERS. PNDTO-LITHQGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C

WW1/ws e/.s @www0 AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WINANS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORGANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,259, datedSeptember 12, 1876; application tiled y To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WINANS, of Baltimore, Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements-in Organs, of which the following isa specification:

It is my object to provide an organ with two or more independent andseparate keyboards, each adapted to be used by a performer, so that two,three, or more performers may play the same organ simultaneously. To dothis without unduly multiplying or complicating the mechanism, throughAthe intermediary of which the keys connect with the pipes, I use but oneset of pallets or valves, such asin an organ with one key-board, and Iconnect the corresponding key of the auxiliary key-board or key-boardswith these same pallets or valves, the connection being such that eachkey in the several key-boards may act on its pallet or valve withoutdisturbing or moving the keys of the other key-board or key-boards. IInd that in this way I am enabled, without materially complicating theaction, to greatly increase the capacity of the instrument, and obtainnew and most pleasing effects beyond anything ot' the kind that can beattained with the single key-board.

Let us suppose an organ consisting of what may be termed four partialorgans-viz., the grand, the choir, the swell, and the pedal. An organ ofthis capacity is not at all unusual.

- Ordinarily the keys for this organ are all comprised in a single keyboard-viz., three banks of keys, one above the other, for the grand,swell, and choir organs. There is also a row of pedals. y

To carry out my invention the most perfect Way, theoretically, would betov add two distinct and independent key-boards, counterparts of thefirst, these additional key-boards being located in any convenientposition; and each of the three key-boards having independentconnections with the same pallets or valves, so that each might operateindependently of and without interference with the others. To eachkey-board might also be added pedals, having a like independent action.

This mode of construction, however, would be necessarily expensive. Itwill suflice, practically, that the additional key-boards consist June14, 1876.

of two, or perhaps even one, bank of keys each, or but one additionalkey-board might be provided, which should be a duplicate of the first,or should consist of only two banks of keys-say the choir and swell. Itis, however, unnecessary to run the changes on the combinations that maythus be made, for manifestly there may be a very-great variety ofarrangements, depending upon the number ot' banks of keys, the capacityot' the organ, the number ot' additional key-boards desired, ve.

It is manifest that my invention is applicable to all types of organs,whether those having the ordinary mechanical action or those havingeither a pneumatic or an electric action, so called.

In the accompanying drawings, in illustration of my invention, I haveshown one simple way in which the result I aim at can be obtained.

Figure l is a plan, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of so much of anorgan as is needed to illustrate my invention.

The main key-board is marked A, consisting, in this instance, of threerows or banks of keys, the one for the choir, the next for the swell,and the third for the greatv organ. These keys communicate with theproper pipes and registers by means of stickers c, square b, andtrackers c, in any ordinary or suitable manner. If the organ has apneumatic action the trackers may lead to double plug or spool valves,such as shown in my Letters Patent No. 162,450 of April 20, 1875.

On one side of the main key-board is an auxiliary key-board, B, whichcan be used to play the swell-organ. On the other side of the mainkeyboard is a second auxiliary key-board, C, which operates thechoir-organ. The drawstops of the main key-board are arranged as shown,viz., with the choir draw-stops on the side next to the auxiliary choirke y-board, and 1 the swell draw-stops on the side next to the auxiliaryswellkey-board. The keys of the auxiliary key-boards connect with themain-organ action by roller-boards D, as shown, the communicationbetween each roller d audits proper main action being established byarod, f,which connects with the same arm of the square b, with which thesticker of the corresponding key of the main key-board is connected.From the lower end of `the rod f projects a wire, g, which passes freelythrough the arm of the squares and has a nut or head on its lower end,so that it will draw up the arm when the roller is rotated inthe properdirection by the pressure of the auxiliary key which operates saidroller. The wire g may have suficiently loose play through the arm, andmay be of sufticientlength, as shown, to allow the square, when operatedby the main key, to move without moving the rodf. In this way the mainkey-board can be used without operating the auxiliary keys.

The same kind of connection might, if desired,be established between thesquares and the stickers of the main keys, to permit the auxiliary keysto be used without actuating the main keys. The same result, however,can be attained in the manner shown in the drawing-that is to say, byproviding the sticker at its lower end with a wire, h, that passes intoand through the key, and is of such length as will permit the sticker,when the square is actuated by the auxiliary key, to rise and fallwithout moving its key.

Under the arrangement thus described it will be seen that each key-boardis capable of acting upon the organ-pipes independently of the others,and that they are adapted for simultaneous use by as many performers asthere are key-boards. At the same time, if there be but one performer,the main key-board can be used by him just as the key-board of anyordinary organ.

It will also be noted that additional pallets l or valves are notrequiredfor the auxiliary The combination in one organ, with the main fkey-board, and the pallets or valves operated thereby, of one or moreauxiliary key-boards, whose keys operate the same pallets or valves thatare operated by the corresponding main keys, the parts being arrangedand connected, substantially as described, so that each key in the,several key-boards may act on its pallet or valve'without disturbing ormoving the keys of the other key-board or key-boards.

In testimonyv whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 7th day ot'June, A. D. 1876.

THOMAS WINANS.

Witnesses:

GEO. WoRTHING'roN, W. S.W1LKINsoN.

